Sunday, November 13, 2011

#Paterno #Sandusky :Fifteen Adults at Penn State Knew About Child Sexual Assaults, Rapes and Did Not Act

I am still processing and still in shock from the revelations coming out of Penn State this week. And the more I learn, the more revolted I become.

Consider for example, that 15 adults at Penn State--15 individual adults, all men--either witnessed directly or had knowledge of rape, sodomy, and assault of children by Jerry Sandusky and either did not act or whose actions were for naught. These include 12 adult men who were in positions of power,some of them members of law enforcement, who did not do anything to protect children raped and abused or to prevent other children from being raped and abused. I am trying to wrap my head around this. I am not sure I ever will. The Daily has a list of the 15 men, what they knew and when they knew it.

They also have a timeline which indicates that reports were being made and investigations into Sandusky conducted as early as 1998 (perhaps earlier). In 1998, for example, police listened in on a conversation between the mother of a victim of sexual assault, a boy with whom Sandusky took a shower, whom Sandusky "lathered up" and who then was "bear-hugged" by Sandusky. In the conversation, he admits to having assaulted this child. What do the police do? They tell Sandusky not to shower with boys. He says he can not promise not to do so.

It only gets worse--far worse--from there. The list follows.

15 ADULTS WHO KNEW ABOUT ALLEGATIONS OF SANDUSKY’S BEHAVIOR BEFORE THE ARREST:

Joe Paterno, the legendary Penn State University football coach who was in his 46th season, was fired by the school’s board of trustees Wednesday.

Graham B. Spanier, Penn State’s president since 1995, also was fired by the board of trustees Wednesday. He was told of the 2002 shower incident but did not report the matter to police.

Tim Curley, Penn State’s athletic director, is charged by the state attorney general with perjury and failing to report to authorities what he knew of the allegations.

Gary Schultz, Penn State’s senior vice president for finance and business, is charged by the attorney general with perjury and failing to report to authorities what he knew of the allegations.

Mike McQueary, Penn State assistant football coach, says he witnessed Sandusky having anal sex with a boy in the shower in 2002 and reported the incident to his higher-ups.

Jim Calhoun, a janitor who saw Sandusky performing oral sex on a boy in 2000, suffers from dementia and is not competent to testify.

Ronald Petrosky, another janitor, was approached by a shaking and crying Calhoun in 2000. He testified that the janitors were afraid they’d lose their jobs if they told on Sandusky.

Jay Witherite, the janitors’ immediate supervisor, was told of the 2000 incident and left it up to Calhoun to report it.

Ray Gricar, formerly Centre County district attorney, investigated a 1998 claim about Sandusky acting inappropriately with a boy in the shower. He disappeared in 2005.

Ronald Schreffler, a campus detective, was told in 1998 to close the case on Sandusky.

Jerry Lauro, an investigator with the state Department of Child Welfare, interviewed Sandusky on the 1998 incident.

Thomas Harmon was director of campus police in 1998, when Sandusky was investigated.

Ralph Ralston, another campus police officer, worked on the Sandusky case in 1998.

Dr. Jack Raykovitz, executive director of The Second Mile, allegedly was notified of the anal sex incident in 2002.

Wendell Courtney was university counsel during the 1998 investigation and remains counsel for The Second Mile.